The State and Aboriginal children in the child welfare system in Canada : the untouchable guardian
Document type: article
Download file(s):
124401 (111 KB)
Abstract:
Child welfare work has two key purposes: 1) to enforce legislative standards for the safety of children; and 2) to provide for children removed from their caregivers by the State. In Canada, the State is guardian to over 85,000 children in care. The State therefore touches the lives of many families, yet it remains largely untouched by enforceable policing of its own responsibilities. This is particularly true for Aboriginal children who are vastly over-represented in the Canadian child welfare system. This article argues that the failure of the state to redress disproportionate structural risks to Aboriginal children, to provide equitable family support and proper support for Aboriginal children in care places the child welfare system in a situation where it may well be neglecting the very children it removed from families for reasons of neglect. Recommendations for policy change are discussed.
Authors:
Blackstock, C.
,
Alderman, J.A.
Country:
Canada
Category:
Policy
End Page:
22
Serial number:
105
ISSN:
1387-9553
Journal:
Early Childhood Matters
Keywords:
children
,
infrastructure
,
policy
,
indigenous peoples
Language:
eng
Organization:
Bernard van Leer Foundation
Year:
2005
Region:
North America
Right:
© 2005 Bernard van Leer Foundation
Subject:
Social and Political Change
Start Page:
19
Title:
The State and Aboriginal children in the child welfare system in Canada : the untouchable guardian